tfidownunder (Australia) feedback

[alfa156]

He doesn't have an ABN on his website so would most likely not be registered for GST. Unless it changed this financial year a business does not have to register for GST if it's revenue (not profits) is less that $75,000 per financial year.

You still should have an ABN because you're still meant to pay company tax on profits.

[Sinnertwin]

You still should have an ABN because you're still meant to pay company tax on profits.

Is there an ABN on the invoices supplied?

[leej84]

I just checked an invoice. No ABN

[Sinnertwin]

interesting

[kup]

Yeah it sounds like this guy bit off more than he could chew but the way he is doing the damage control is appalingly bad, almost like if he has no basic concept of customer service or how the transaction process goes. Given some of the basic communication and transaction failures here, it seems that he would have difficulty running a lemonade stand.

He shouldn't be charging 60% pre-order cancellation fees for things his website clearly claimed were in stock. I have an order with them which was supposed to be in stock and it's been a month now. So if I do a Paypal claim he would hit me with a 60% fee too?

[leej84]

I have completed orders with TFI twice now. Most recently a Warbotron WB-01E Fierce Attack. It took forever for them to get stock in (not entirely their fault) and it ended up being the second production batch, which does not include replacement parts to fix previous figures in the not-bruticus set which in my eyes is just annoying. I PRE-ordered the figure, so I am expecting it to be fulfilled with the first production batch. Their facebook suggests he is trying to contact their supplier with no luck.... THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Also, during the whole period where he changed his policy to no order cancellations, the website still had the cancel button (which is confusing to begin with). I cancelled a pre-order, thinking it was still cancelled, as it showed being cancelled in my accounts page and went ahead and bought the figure i was after from other sources. Now after "fixing" the website my pre-order came back. I contacted TFI stating my order to be cancelled again and received a reply more than a week after (close to two weeks) saying it can not be done as its store policy, i replied asking for my order to be cancelled again and described what had happened. That was over a week ago and no reply.

With this kind of customer service I am not sure if I should keep using TFI. I still have a couple of pre-orders up with them too.... should i be worried?? (rhetorical)

[drifand]

I don't have an issue with cancellation policies, it's when you're threatened with them because you disputed a transaction due to poor communication that I have an issue. I never wanted to cancel, I just wanted an ETA and some correspondence.

No worries mate, I wasn't pointing at anyone in particular, and I do understand your situation as well.

Like I said, I hope he learns to be a bit more diplomatic and come back with a better level of service.

[griffin]

Some of these comments & wonderings should be directed at the business, and then posted up here if/when you get an answer... as none of the online stores are required to interact here, or even see these posts.
(and speculations can end up over-shadowing actual experiences, making it harder for people to find actual feedback or even get the wrong impression that it is a campaign against certain dealers or people)

[alfa156]

Some of these comments & wonderings should be directed at the business, and then posted up here if/when you get an answer... as none of the online stores are required to interact here, or even see these posts.
(and speculations can end up over-shadowing actual experiences, making it harder for people to find actual feedback or even get the wrong impression that it is a campaign against certain dealers or people)

This may sound off topic but there is a punchline, when I bought my last car that I'm now struggling to sell I was concerned with all the posts on forums and review sites about reliability, mine has been 100% reliable but now nobody will buy because of all the negative feedback and they think I bought a 20 year old sports coupe because something was wrong with my 2003 Sedan...

Someone said to me "you only ever hear feedback from those who have something bad to say"

[Jetfire in the sky]

You still should have an ABN because you're still meant to pay company tax on profits.

You only pay company tax if you are incorporated, ie registered as a company; which has financial thresholds that need to be met. Otherwise there are limits on what is considered a hobby and what is considered a business, if you are a business that isn't incorporated then you pay the marginal tax rate which is usually around where your "regular" job tax levels are calculated etc etc.
About 10 years ago (as far as I can remember) the ATO started making e-bay report any e-bay seller who had sales over a certain dollar value, thus getting people who were making a pile of money to pay tax on their earnings, this is a slightly double edged sword because if a person needs to pay tax on business interests they can then claim expenses on running that business, and if it's run from home then it is a nice can of worms to open up and may actually result in an overall loss on paper so the person who might have a regular job can claim back that tax paid. On the other hand if someone is receiving welfare and importing cheap stuff to sell on e-bay and making a tidy profit then it's payback time :p ATO style.

I ran a website selling collectables in the early 2000's and checked what the tax implications were, I was under the hobby threshold so I was ok.

Just food for thought........

Dealing with any Australian seller online or face to face is all about knowing your rights, and with feedback from the proverbial horses mouths on the Internet we can make informed decisions on who might be good or bad to deal with. I have already said that my experiences with TFI have generally been good but it bugs me to see that there have been many negative experiences talked about on here.
Pre-orders are such a grey area from my understanding but the law is clear that if you pay for a service that is promised in a certain time frame and then isn't delivered in a timely manner you are entitled to a refund. Change of mind returns are not on, but also on the other side, "store policy" that is against the law is also not on.
Buyer beware is something that used to get thrown around years ago when buyers were actually less aware, now to be honest I think that saying is more true than ever. If you have an issue check out the ACCC website and fight for your consumer rights. After all, it's your hard earned dollars that someone is taking in exchange for goods.
Paypal is such a buyer protective tool now that imho is almost a disadvantage for sellers, I wont go into the why's and why not's after such a long rant I might wind it up. :)

In summary, supporting Aussie businesses should benefit sellers and buyers alike, but like any relationship it is a two way street that among other things requires good communication.

[Juggernaut]

It appears they're exhibiting at OzComicon Brisbane weekend after next. Perhaps those with concerns can discuss their policies in person?
http://www.ozcomiccon.com/en/Exhibitors/968690/TFI-Down-Under

If anyone does please let us know how u go

Unfortunately I don't think anyone would have to balls to do so, I know I wouldn't

[Trent]

He doesn't have an ABN on his website so would most likely not be registered for GST. Unless it changed this financial year a business does not have to register for GST if it's revenue (not profits) is less that $75,000 per financial year.


You still should have an ABN because you're still meant to pay company tax on profits.


Is there an ABN on the invoices supplied?


I just checked an invoice. No ABN


interesting

You can search for ABNs on the ABN Lookup site.

He has one (http://abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?abn=91835132892).

[kup]

If anyone does please let us know how u go

Unfortunately I don't think anyone would have to balls to do so, I know I wouldn't

I would but unfortunately I am not within state. Too bad they are not coming to OzComicCon Sydney.

[Jetfire in the sky]

You can search for ABNs on the ABN Lookup site.

He has one (http://abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?abn=91835132892).

I stand corrected. :o They should be displayed on the invoice though. :confused:

[Fungal Infection]

I've made one purchase with these guys but I'm hesitant to do so again just because of the lack of communication. I was emailed by them and told an item I had pre-ordered was in stock and that payment was due (G1 Trypticon). Did not hear from them for 3 weeks then suddenly get a shipping email (with tracking). Received the item and because I'm a VERY patient person, did not do much else. However as many have said, communication is a sore point - I think even if he's bitten off more than he can chew, at the very least, he could update people and let them know whats going on - it doesn't even have to be personalised, just a generic, "Sorry, we're swamped in orders and we are working through them" to let people know that they haven't been forgotten, it would go a long way to easing peoples concerns about their orders. His prices are good mind you, just depends on what you value, decent prices or good customer service.

[Trent]

I have 2 items on preorder with him still. My approach is going to be to sit on the Paypal invoice until he confirms that he has the items physically in stock and ready to ship. Then I will pay. Not before.

[llamatron]

I have 2 items on preorder with him still. My approach is going to be to sit on the Paypal invoice until he confirms that he has the items physically in stock and ready to ship. Then I will pay. Not before.

From what I can decipher on their facebook page, it seems like they actually rely upon people paying those invoices in order to round-up the cash needed to pay the supplier and receive the shipment of toys. My (possibly incorrect) memory recalls them complaining about people not paying their invoices for MP-10 reissue on time, which prevented them from being able to pay the supplier for the toys and get them in hand to send out to everyone who had payed already.

[xlojnr]

I have had no problems with my many orders from TFIDownunder. (4+ separate orders - all of which have been pre-orders).

A few things that I have learnt from my dealings with TFI:

1) Their preorder system enables them to show an estimated release date - however these are based off of information supplied by their suppliers and as such will not always be accurate. The dates can be delayed, etc, however TFI have mentioned that they are unable to adjust the date put into the system initially.
The system automatically sends an email to anyone who pre-ordered the item on the date when it pops up (even if the item isn't actually released), and the email tells the customer that the item is ready and payment is required. TFI have said many times that you can ignore this message if you know that the item is far away from release.

2) TFI seem to receive stock after the big international e-tailers. I seem to recall it being mentioned that it's a foodchain thing, where the bigger ordering customers are taken care of first, before the smaller etailers are sent their allocations. This cannot be helped. The fact is that the tradeoff with shopping with the local, cheaper, etailer is that you will have to receive your item slightly after others have who went with the bigger shops.

3) the majority of their updates come from their facebook page. They will tell you when items are physically in their hands on facebook. After those posts it seems to take roughly 2 weeks for them to send items out (due to the small scale of their business). They have recently tried to rectify this by asking for "workers for store credit" to help pack/send items when they have alot of orders to send out.

This is a small local business. I have never experienced a problem with communication with them, but I've never asked for an ETA on products (which some have mentioned was their query). I've found that with patience, all my transactions have been smooth.

[Trent]

Got link?

I currently have a dispute open after he tried to charge me 60% cost after returning an unopened item. Escalated to a PayPal claim yesterday and I receive an invoice for Spotter today...

I might have to go through Mastercard to retrieve the other outstanding payments as well. What a PITA. :mad:

I had a roll back through his faebook page and it seems he has deleted that post. But yeah it was basicaly a rant about how anyone that tries to cancel a preorder will find themselves with a summons to the small claims court.

[Gofigure]

I had a roll back through his faebook page and it seems he has deleted that post. But yeah it was basicaly a rant about how anyone that tries to cancel a preorder will find themselves with a summons to the small claims court.

That doesn't sound good. Not liking the business practices there

[kup]

From what I can decipher on their facebook page, it seems like they actually rely upon people paying those invoices in order to round-up the cash needed to pay the supplier and receive the shipment of toys. My (possibly incorrect) memory recalls them complaining about people not paying their invoices for MP-10 reissue on time, which prevented them from being able to pay the supplier for the toys and get them in hand to send out to everyone who had payed already.

That is like the worst business model ever. That works more like a fancy fan group order like we do here (only that ours are usually effective) than an actual business.

[DaptoDog]

That is like the worst business model ever. That works more like a fancy fan group order like we do here (only that ours are usually effective) than an actual business.

The only difference between this and PC is that PC requires all pre-orders to be paid up front. This is probably what TFI should do if it can't fund its own working capital.

[llamatron]

Yeah, I assume that at this time they're not big enough to pay all those orders up front.

[Defcon]

The only difference between this and PC is that PC requires all pre-orders to be paid up front. This is probably what TFI should do if it can't fund its own working capital.

Yeah I totally agree with this. Pre orders should be paid upfront. Without it people will always want to change their minds, no matter what a policy says. Only a really big established business could reliably support a no payment upfront, and it doesn't help that the items are expensive collectible items and pre orders! lots of em

[Shugoo]

Yeah I totally agree with this. Pre orders should be paid upfront. Without it people will always want to change their minds, no matter what a policy says. Only a really big established business could reliably support a no payment upfront, and it doesn't help that the items are expensive collectible items and pre orders! lots of em

Makes sense. They could probably make things easier on themselves if they did this. Could even bring their service levels more in line with their customers expectations.

[griffin]

Some people prefer to pay when things come in-stock (like HLJ & BBTS), because then there isn't any risk of the business closing down and losing all your money.

[Borgeman]

Some people prefer to pay when things come in-stock (like HLJ & BBTS), because then there isn't any risk of the business closing down and losing all your money.

Yeah but those businesses have the capital to buy the stock then sell. TFI does not, hence why his service is so poor atm with long delays

[griffin]

Don't worry, I wasn't saying one is better than the other... with everyone having a go at the "pay later" option, I was just noting that the different methods work for different people.

[Borgeman]

Don't worry, I wasn't saying one is better than the other... with everyone having a go at the "pay later" option, I was just noting that the different methods work for different people.

Noted :)

[drifand]

Nippon Yasan has by far pay as you want to. but has a no cancel policy. so you only expect a store credit . And yes despite you pay paypal.
Note, I am not debating over your rights as a customer to claim through Paypal.

You may win, and loose as they will refund and cancel your account.

HLJ and BBTS are the only two store that gives you full control to order and cancel items.

TFI should have requested at least a deposit for expensive items.

As I know a bit of the owner's character, it would be best he has someone else to reply here on the threads as he may get emotional about it. To me, I would still support his business if he actually come and address all these issues and perhaps an apology to the members here who were frustrated.

I am just glad I gotten one of those rare items that you cannot find in the internet at all.

[Trent]

From what I can decipher on their facebook page, it seems like they actually rely upon people paying those invoices in order to round-up the cash needed to pay the supplier and receive the shipment of toys. My (possibly incorrect) memory recalls them complaining about people not paying their invoices for MP-10 reissue on time, which prevented them from being able to pay the supplier for the toys and get them in hand to send out to everyone who had payed already.

Meh. I'll pay, when he has it ready to ship. Not before.

[djanscak]

I've got mixed feelings about TFI. Everything I've purchased has been well packed and arrived in good condition. Their communication is hit and miss. They screwed up one of my orders but sorted it out, which was a relief.

From what I know about the owner, I think he's enthusiastic and means well but is struggling with being professional under the pressure of having bitten off more than he can chew in terms of sales and enquiry volumes which would be hard when combined with a crappy e-commerce solution and apparently unreliable suppliers (benefit of the doubt given here). Hopefully he'll get through this on top and be able to provide the service we expect of any online retailer.

[Congie]

Here's a tally of my purchases with TFIDU so far:

Fanstoys FT-05 Soar - Supplier screwed them around so there was a price increase after pre-order but full refund option was given. I went ahead with the purchase regardless and had no problems.

X-Transbots MX-1 Apollyon - No problems

MMC R07 Felisaber - No problems

Fanstoys FT-09 Tesla - No problems

Fanstoys FT-06 Sever - Was missing screaming face + red eyes from factory as box arrived to me sealed. I contacted TFIDU via Facebook about the issue and 2 weeks later the parts were at my doorstep. Happy with how that was dealt with.

Maketoys MTRM-07 Visualizers - No problems


Not a perfect score by any means but overall I am more than happy and will be buying more from them where practicable. :)

[Gofigure]

Meh. I'll pay, when he has it ready to ship. Not before.

Have to admit. This is my mentality also. Which is why i pulled the plug on MP10

[TAAUBlaster]

I just received another order from TFI today (an instock item) and everything went smoothly. To be honest, I've never had that much drama with them.

I've never had to wait too long for an order to get shipped, but to be fair I'm pretty casual with that sort of thing and it doesn't really bother me to wait a little :p

[Juggernaut]

^^^^^^^^refreshing to read some posts like the above!!!

[ZoonMaster5000]

^^^^^^^^refreshing to read some posts like the above!!!

Keep them going then... I received warbotron wb-03 a, b and c
took like 4 days to get here ( that's a big deal for tasmanian's) perfectly packed items with not a ding on them.

[Initial_G]

Just wanted to post that I had no issues with my most recent transaction with TFI. I ordered Apollyon (v2) from them. Everything arrived fairly quickly and nicely packaged. It came via aust post with tracking.

Upon opening I found a piece missing (from factory), sent an email to them and got a reply the next morning. They contacted their supplier for a replacement for the missing piece. I received the replacement piece about a week later.


Quite happy with my experience so far. I still have the FT insecticons on pre-order with them to go still.

[MayzaPrime]

Got IronDibots Sever from Tfi

This was my first order with them, and overall there was no issue with transaction and I am very happy with Sever.

[ZoonMaster5000]

Has anyone else noticed that shipping has gone up? Used to be a $10 flat rate now it varies between orders.

This could be the straw that breaks the camels back as the prices slowly start to creep up a bit high for me.

[Congie]

Has anyone else noticed that shipping has gone up? Used to be a $10 flat rate now it varies between orders.

This could be the straw that breaks the camels back as the prices slowly start to creep up a bit high for me.

Don't think it's a new thing. I've had many orders since the beginning of the year and the shipping costs have varied from $10 to $19 per item (excluding those that had free shipping). All say "flat rate" next to the amount on the invoice though.

[ZoonMaster5000]

I thought that too but I went back through all 13 of my Orders/pre-orders and they are all $10 maybe I should start paying a bit more attention!

[SuspectimusPrime]

I thought that too but I went back through all 13 of my Orders/pre-orders and they are all $10 maybe I should start paying a bit more attention!

Maybe it depends on the overall size/weight. Are these large items?

Just tried putting Laserwave into their shopping cart, and shipping comes up to $17.

[ZoonMaster5000]

Maybe it depends on the overall size/weight. Are these large items?

Just tried putting Laserwave into their shopping cart, and shipping comes up to $17.

Some large and heavy some small didn't really matter. I just duplicated a purchase I had made a few months back which was $28 shipping it's now $43.

I'll ask him about it next time I need to speak to him

[Starganderfish]

Ordered FT-12 and a set of the Unique Toys Sharkies from TFI Downunder on 25th September. Received the order receipt and it's been in "Processing" ever since.
Admittedly this is a new figure that's only been shipping from major US seller's for a week or two so I have no idea when it will drop on Australian shore's.
However I've been unable to get a response from them via the Contact page on their website or by emailing their info@tfidownunder.com address. I'm now trying posting on the forums here and will try a PM.

Also I got charged $42 shipping for sending these to Sydney!!
That's comparable to International shipping from Japanese or US seller's.

This was my first time buying from an Australian retailer. I've bought from TFDirect, Chosen Prime, Robot Kingdom, Chimunmung, Hobbylink Japan and have several pre-orders with Nippon Yassan and AmiAmi and so far it's not stacking up well in comparison.

Hopefully I'll get a response from them either through email or from post's on the board here. I'm also probably going to order FT-09 Tesla from them so I'll see how they go with an "in stock" order

[Sinnertwin]

i wouldn't bother with Tesla.
They put up a FB post this afternoon stating that they will be giving refunds to all customers who ordered it.

[Starganderfish]

Woah. Thanks for the heads up. I was going to order Tesla next week once I got paid. Now I either look elsewhere or place an order for Tracks... hmmn decisions. Tracks won't arrive for weeks yet, so no rush to order him... but...

Also looks like TFI update through Facebook rather than there storefront or email. That sucks but I've posted there as well for an update. Looks like they've had a few shipping/ delivery issues recently...

[spiderken17]

Their postage rates do seem to be higher than other Aus retailers

[xlojnr]

Also looks like TFI update through Facebook rather than there storefront or email. That sucks but I've posted there as well for an update. Looks like they've had a few shipping/ delivery issues recently...

grenadier hasn't hit aussie shores yet from what i've seen.

yes TFI update their facebook page with all of their incomings and expected arrivals. they've implemented a stickied notice that they seem to keep fairly well updated - probably to avoid having to deal with all of the emails from customers eager for their pre-orders asking when things will arrive.

TFI recently asked for payments to be finalised for grenadier. typically the next step is once they have the money, they pay the invoice with their suppliers, and the shipment starts sending to them. Until then, we just wait for them to update the sticky post.

but if you do manage to get a response on your order, please do share

[UltimateGalvatron]

Hey all,
I want to buy a FT 09 Tesla, but a lot of people have been giving TFI some average feedback recently, should I use them or no?
I prefer using Auzzie stores, which I was wondering, as TFI seems to be the only one who has Tesla.

Thanks

[drifand]

Hey all,
I want to buy a FT 09 Tesla, but a lot of people have been giving TFI some average feedback recently, should I use them or no?
I prefer using Auzzie stores, which I was wondering, as TFI seems to be the only one who has Tesla.

Thanks

read the above threads : "i wouldn't bother with Tesla.
They put up a FB post this afternoon stating that they will be giving refunds to all customers who ordered it."

So there you go, you be wasting your time.

[UltimateGalvatron]

Is it because its a bad figure or are there problems with the shipment or something?

[drifand]

Is it because its a bad figure or are there problems with the shipment or something?

You could use fb and message them first, that is what I would suggest.

[ZoonMaster5000]

Is it because its a bad figure or are there problems with the shipment or something?

Nothing wrong with figure in fact it's quite a good one. Also they have found there shipment so it's on it's way back to them.

[UltimateGalvatron]

I just looked on FB and they said the customers who didn't cancel preorders are in luck, as they found their shipment halfway across the globe, so they should be receiving it. I will wait until the batch is in hand before I take my chances.

[UltimateGalvatron]

Nevermind, Zoonmaster beat me to it!:eek::cool:

[Razor24]

I've never made a purchase with TFIDU but was considering it as they have Warbotron WB03-D to "Add to basket" rather than pre-order so I assume it means they have it in stock? Pretty impressive as all the other etailers (US or Asian) still has it listed as pre-order.

Has anyone ever had an issue with an item that is listed by them as supposedly "In Stock" when it wasn't?

[ZoonMaster5000]

I've never made a purchase with TFIDU but was considering it as they have Warbotron WB03-D to "Add to basket" rather than pre-order so I assume it means they have it in stock? Pretty impressive as all the other etailers (US or Asian) still has it listed as pre-order.

Has anyone ever had an issue with an item that is listed by them as supposedly "In Stock" when it wasn't?

It's not in stock otherwise I'd have it already plus I think WB03-E is being released first. Sometimes when they say in stock it can mean they are waiting for their shipment to be sent from their stockist.

[Razor24]

It's not in stock otherwise I'd have it already plus I think WB03-E is being released first. Sometimes when they say in stock it can mean they are waiting for their shipment to be sent from their stockist.

Ah ok. Thanks for the heads up ZoonMaster. I figured I'd ask first. Everywhere else that I buy from only changes their item status once they have the stock in hand.

I guess I'll just wait for Chimungmung then...

[xlojnr]

Ordered FT-12 and a set of the Unique Toys Sharkies from TFI Downunder on 25th September. Received the order receipt and it's been in "Processing" ever since.
Admittedly this is a new figure that's only been shipping from major US seller's for a week or two so I have no idea when it will drop on Australian shore's.

TFI have updated their facebook update list to say that fanstoys grenadier is being shipped to them now (left the supplier yesterday)

[Bumblebee2000]

Hi tfi,

Can you pls reply to all email inquiries? You have a big communication problem.

I have sent multiple emails with regards to my MP07 and I haven't received any single reply from you.

This will be my first and last purchase from you.

Having the same problems myself with Starscream. Starting to feel good about buying MP 10 off ebay despite my KO worries.

[spiderken17]

I have Maketoys Rover on order with them, hopefully he replies soon.

[Mr_K]

I have Maketoys Rover on order with them, hopefully he replies soon.

I'm waiting for info on that on too

[Starscream77]

Based on their FB page it doesnt look like customer service is their strong point.
I was looking for an Aussie online store to start using but based on their comments about and to their own customers it certainly wont be this one.

[Juggernaut]

Based on their FB page it doesnt look like customer service is their strong point.
I was looking for an Aussie online store to start using but based on their comments about and to their own customers it certainly wont be this one.

Good move, anyone who uses them atm is crazy!

[Sol_Bad]

I made a comment on a recent post stating that I haven't bought from them do to delays in replying to emails and messages. The response from them was that I'm not being forced to buy from them....
They need to improve their public face.

[VERT]

Well I deal with TFI all the time. Sure not the fastest. But never ever have they let me down. Not even once.

[Sol_Bad]

Well I deal with TFI all the time. Sure not the fastest. But never ever have they let me down. Not even once.

Have a look at the top of this page, you'll see that I messaged them multiple times on Facebook about an issue with no response. At the top of this page they ask me to PM them on the forums and I happily obliged, I received no reply to this PM. I also emailed them another 2 times through their website with no response.

[CoRDS]

Have a look at the top of this page, you'll see that I messaged them multiple times on Facebook about an issue with no response. At the top of this page they ask me to PM them on the forums and I happily obliged, I received no reply to this PM. I also emailed them another 2 times through their website with no response.

ive also had multiple instances of no reply from them, that plus the slow turn around is why i switched to another online (non .au) retailer.

nothing that experience and good business practices cant fix, they should look into getting into a small business mentor program, all fairly mundane things that come with any new venture, hopefully they sort out all their stuff and get quicker then i can start ordering from them again.


All the times ive actually had replies on their system or facebook have been cordial and pleasant, although i do find using facebook for business reasons to be tacky that may just be my age showing.

[Mr_K]

Finally got a response on Facebook concerning status of MakeToys Rover and they haven't even paid MakeToys for their order yet!!!

[spiderken17]

Well that is less than encouraging.

[Trent]

Finally got a response on Facebook concerning status of MakeToys Rover and they haven't even paid MakeToys for their order yet!!!

That's how he works. He needs all his customers to pay so that he can pay his supplier to get the shipment sent to him. Hence the episodes on Facebook about people not paying.

[Mr_K]

The way ordering works isn't clear on his site (as no other business works like this, it's not expected). I'm even more annoyed that when I asked a few months back he said that the delay in them arriving was because they had to be shipped to the USA first (I asked on Facebook so all should be able to see) - so he's lied one of these times (I expect the former since he just said on Facebook a few days ago to someone else that he orders direct from MakeToys - so it wouldn't go to the USA first).

[DaptoDog]

That's how he works. He needs all his customers to pay so that he can pay his supplier to get the shipment sent to him. Hence the episodes on Facebook about people not paying.

If that is the case he should follow the PC model and require full payment upfront on the pre order. Either fund your own working capital or get the customers to. But don't hold people's orders up like that.

[Sinnertwin]

The way ordering works isn't clear on his site (as no other business works like this, it's not expected). I'm even more annoyed that when I asked a few months back he said that the delay in them arriving was because they had to be shipped to the USA first (I asked on Facebook so all should be able to see) - so he's lied one of these times (I expect the former since he just said on Facebook a few days ago to someone else that he orders direct from MakeToys - so it wouldn't go to the USA first).

It was somewhat acceptable when he was starting off and only had a handful of clients, but now that he is attempting to cater to a larger market, his methods of collecting payments first and then ordering stock has exposed the flaw in his operations.

Tracks is one such notable example; While he was still chasing payments from his customers on FB, everybody else who ordered him elsewhere had already received theirs.

Now that he has implemented a pay up front ordering policy, this may mark an improvement in operations due to the availability of incoming revenue.

[Pig's_A_King]

He has lost my business... I sent him numerous emails with no reply (til 2/3 wks later if he even answered)... Regarding my preorders and payments, & working out a payment plan of paying 200/300 a wk.... No reply.... An odd email twice last wk... Taking your items to supanova to sell, need the money.... I asked him to rein life me three days prior.... Another email yesterday, I sold another one of your items... Sorry... I would go to P.C to buy but they are always out of stock and rush to pre-order there... I may try just its or just buy from hk again... Evan used to look after me and reply to his emails... Just doesn't anymore... He seems to have a lot of stock in order not paid for.... And is just relying on selling other stuff to juggle his orders to fufil customer orders.... That's why his stuff is always late... I may not buy from him ever again.... Not much loss, he seems like a prick these days

[leej84]

Not to mention the immature responses he gives when people post legit complaints lol

[spiderken17]

I will hopefully get Maketoys Rover from him (which is paid for) but I think I will shop elsewhere for the remaining 3 combiners, it does not seem like it worth the hassle to save a few bucks.

[SuspectimusPrime]

Now that he has implemented a pay up front ordering policy, this may mark an improvement in operations due to the availability of incoming revenue. [/SIZE][/FONT]

It's good that its finally implemented. While I am still skeptical and will need to see other marked improvements in his operations, it is still useful to have him in the game to keep PC on edge & competitive.


I will hopefully get Maketoys Rover from him (which is paid for) but I think I will shop elsewhere for the remaining 3 combiners, it does not seem like it worth the hassle to save a few bucks.

I'm probably going with Chimungmung for this set. Their prices are the same as BBTS, but their shipping prices are slightly better and faster.

[megatren]

I finally got a reply from TFI and its not good:

Dear valued customer,
Thank you for taking the time to make a purchase with us. Unfortunately, we are unable to get anymore MP-07 Starscream. Our original supplier broke their promise of our original amount. We tried very hard to keep our promise to our customers of MP-07 Starscream for our great price and have been through 4 different suppliers and imported all the stock they had left from across the globe that were willing to wholesale. If you have made a deposit, this will be refunded to you. To speed the process up, please respond by giving us the Paypal address that you used to pay for this deposit. We sincerely regret this decision, and are working hard to scramble more stock together from across the globe.
Kindest regards,
Management.
Tfidu.

[spiderken17]

That sucks mate.

[Sol_Bad]

This lowers my trust in them even more. They can't even guarantee pre-orders but they get to keep your paid money and I assume gain interest on those funds?
And since they are so bad at communication, for all we know they knew about their limited supply for a while but just didn't inform anyone.

*EDIT*
The moment they knew they had a short supply they should have started organising refunds. Are they organising refunds or do they wait until someone contacts them first?

[megatren]

This lowers my trust in them even more. They can't even guarantee pre-orders but they get to keep your paid money and I assume gain interest on those funds?
And since they are so bad at communication, for all we know they knew about their limited supply for a while but just didn't inform anyone.

*EDIT*
The moment they knew they had a short supply they should have started organising refunds. Are they organising refunds or do they wait until someone contacts them first?

They organize the refund immediately.

[Sol_Bad]

They organize the refund immediately.

Which is good, I just meant that they may have known 6 weeks ago that they didn't have enough stock on hand but aren't telling their customers.

[reillyd]

I had a problem with a purchase (an email they sent said it had been shipped, when it was not and hadn't actually arrived at tfidownunder), and found my emails going unanswered. I had to file a PayPal disputed transaction request, and was asked to cancel it early which would have waived my PayPal rights to a refund.

But the impression that I got, because his communication was quite detailed and thorough, is that he's an honest bloke but a little overwhelmed with orders. I do think he's really trying, and maybe the trade off for getting these harder to find Takara and third party products locally at these prices is going to be a slow response on customer service problems. I still think for many people, the trade off is worth it, particularly if you're ordering maybe one or two items at a time (which wouldn't be cost effective to get shipped from somewhere like RK or
Bigbad).

[Wormz]

This lowers my trust in them even more. They can't even guarantee pre-orders but they get to keep your paid money and I assume gain interest on those funds?
And since they are so bad at communication, for all we know they knew about their limited supply for a while but just didn't inform anyone.

*EDIT*
The moment they knew they had a short supply they should have started organising refunds. Are they organising refunds or do they wait until someone contacts them first?

Please dont get me wrong as i cant speak for everyone's but I had two Starscreams paid in full.. I was notified that one would be shipped out and that there was going to be a wait on the other.. A week later when I asked about the second I was informed that they no longer had access the stock and a refund was given immediately.. Yes i had to chase it up but they were quick to explain the situation to me and were quick to give the money back.. As i said i can't speak for everyone but this was just my experience.. All in all i saved a few dollars but had to wait a few weeks for stock to arrive.. Fair trade off I guess

[Starganderfish]

I'm really torn on tfi. As i posted earlier, I ordered FT-12t (purple version) back in late september. It was listed as in stock on the site. The figure started shipping from other stores in mid-October. It's now the 4th of December and the figure still has not shipped. There's been a lot of talk on their FB site about one of their suppliers going AWOL and mentions that this will affect some orders, but they simply ignored requests from multiple people for a list of exactly which figures have been affected. I've tried contacting them through email, website, comments on FB and PMs on FB and received much delayed or no response. My favourite was when the last response from them was to answer one of three questions, post "be right back" and nothing more has been heard. This was more than two weeks ago and one of the questions I was asking wss for them to send me an invoice so I could immediatel pay for preorders for 4 3rd party MPs!
I've noticed that there communications are hopeless and when they do respond, its usually only to positive messages or requests. If someone complains they'll usually ignore it completely, or go on a tirade against the poster. Crazy to see a business insult their own customers. Their prices are far from competitive with Premium Collectables or Just Bots, both of whom are also now offering free shipping. The only real benefit they have is a much better range of figures, which is why I still order from them. Unfortunately they are a last resort I only use when the other Aus stores aren't stocking or have sold out on figures. They'll continue to be on my list of "approved stores" but they need to shape up their act. It's just getting old now.

[Initial_G]

I'm really torn on tfi. As i posted earlier, I ordered FT-12t (purple version) back in late september. It was listed as in stock on the site. The figure started shipping from other stores in mid-October. It's now the 4th of December and the figure still has not shipped. There's been a lot of talk on their FB site about one of their suppliers going AWOL and mentions that this will affect some orders, but they simply ignored requests from multiple people for a list of exactly which figures have been affected. I've tried contacting them through email, website, comments on FB and PMs on FB and received much delayed or no response. My favourite was when the last response from them was to answer one of three questions, post "be right back" and nothing more has been heard. This was more than two weeks ago and one of the questions I was asking wss for them to send me an invoice so I could immediatel pay for preorders for 4 3rd party MPs!
I've noticed that there communications are hopeless and when they do respond, its usually only to positive messages or requests. If someone complains they'll usually ignore it completely, or go on a tirade against the poster. Crazy to see a business insult their own customers. Their prices are far from competitive with Premium Collectables or Just Bots, both of whom are also now offering free shipping. The only real benefit they have is a much better range of figures, which is why I still order from them. Unfortunately they are a last resort I only use when the other Aus stores aren't stocking or have sold out on figures. They'll continue to be on my list of "approved stores" but they need to shape up their act. It's just getting old now.

I'm in a similar mindset as you. Patience is wearing thin with them. Bad thing is I've been a long time customer but lately their customer service has just gotten worse.

I also pre-ordered/paid for my FT-12T (purple) way back when they were first available. I emailed to ask about it after that post about the AWOL supplier etc and haven't gotten any replies yet either :( maybe 3 weeks ago now.

Bad thing is as I paid quite a while ago, I don't even think I can get a paypal refund now (not that I have tried ... yet)

[Trent]

I'm in a similar mindset as you. Patience is wearing thin with them. Bad thing is I've been a long time customer but lately their customer service has just gotten worse.

I also pre-ordered/paid for my FT-12T (purple) way back when they were first available. I emailed to ask about it after that post about the AWOL supplier etc and haven't gotten any replies yet either :( maybe 3 weeks ago now.

Bad thing is as I paid quite a while ago, I don't even think I can get a paypal refund now (not that I have tried ... yet)

You've got 6 months now to open a dispute.

[Juggernaut]

Opening a paypal dispute would be the o ly way to get this bloke to respond

[drifand]

You've got 6 months now to open a dispute.

I didn't know this? I have to check.

[drifand]

Opening a paypal dispute would be the o ly way to get this bloke to respond

It is something they would be aware off as is money going back out. Sadly this points to poor service or attention to detail by them.

People can only hold their trust this long, if they fail to communicate that's where the buck stops and result in refund measures.

[Trent]

I didn't know this? I have to check.

On this page https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/paypal-buyer-protection


Shop with confidence.
If your order is significantly different to the seller’s description or doesn’t arrive, you have 180 days to file a dispute. It could be that the event you bought a ticket for was cancelled, you didn’t receive everything you bought, or the item was defective, damaged or counterfeit. We can protect you for the full purchase price plus shipping costs, up to $20,000 per item.

[drifand]

On this page https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/paypal-buyer-protection

Yup thanks, I forgot 180 days is 6 months. my bad.

[Starganderfish]

To update this, tfi have finally admited that their supplier may not come to the party and are offering refunds to customers who ordered FT-12T. This is several months after the original expected delivery so thats one issue. The bigger problem is... In order to request a refund " Just let us inow in a PM and the guys will get back to you tomorrow." A week later my PM is, as always, un-answered.

[Initial_G]

can't remember exactly how much later ( don't think it was a week but it may have been, I've been super busy with work leading up to christmas break ), I did receive a refund email from TFI and also via paypal.

[philby]

I thought I would mention this in both sections...
I noticed on their facebook page that they are "going through changes" and will be revamping the site. Of particular note is that I think they seem to be cancelling all current pre-orders that they have and when the site re-opens they will be available then. Or something. It is a little confusing and not very clear at the moment.

So if you have anything with TFI Downunder and don't have it yet maybe email them about what is going on!

[Juggernaut]

I thought I would mention this in both sections...
I noticed on their facebook page that they are "going through changes" and will be revamping the site. Of particular note is that I think they seem to be cancelling all current pre-orders that they have and when the site re-opens they will be available then. Or something. It is a little confusing and not very clear at the moment.

So if you have anything with TFI Downunder and don't have it yet maybe email them about what is going on!

Tfi are finished

I reckon they are Cancelling everyone's pre orders, because there won't be a business anymore,

How retarded is it refunding their "loyal" customers, that through all the crap, still have faith to pay them money, and expect them to want to still send money after this class act.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Of particular note is that I think they seem to be cancelling all current pre-orders that they have and when the site re-opens they will be available then.

But that makes no sense whatsoever! Honour all pre-existing agreements and make the new sale agreements under the new site.

That's pretty simple and doesn't inconvenience customers having to reorder

The only thing I can think of is the same items will cost more under the new site, so it's a cash grab...

[drifand]

But that makes no sense whatsoever! Honour all pre-existing agreements and make the new sale agreements under the new site.

That's pretty simple and doesn't inconvenience customers having to reorder

The only thing I can think of is the same items will cost more under the new site, so it's a cash grab...

+1

I think they are done, I have not seen regular updates compared to other Australian online companies posting here.

Is sad that they give this type or reasoning while people will speculate what looks obvious.

[ZoonMaster5000]

But that makes no sense whatsoever! Honour all pre-existing agreements and make the new sale agreements under the new site.

That's pretty simple and doesn't inconvenience customers having to reorder

The only thing I can think of is the same items will cost more under the new site, so it's a cash grab...

From what I've seen new pricing was matching places like bbts but are obviously cheaper on shipping which is where they are coming out cheaper.

As for shutting down it could explain why they are only advertising items that are in stock. It will be unfortunate if they do shut down I hate seeing any Aussie business work hard only to fall short in the end.

[starrs]

By shopping at TFI you are just inviting trouble upon yourself. I would hope by now that yet again with this episode people are smart enough to stay way clear.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

From what I've seen new pricing was matching places like bbts but are obviously cheaper on shipping which is where they are coming out cheaper.

I mean not compared to other stores, but compared to the price that someone may have already paid for only to be refunded then re-invited to purchase again once the new site goes up.

I don't see any logical reason for cancelling and refunding preorders then re-inviting customers to order again. But as others have noted, it seems consistent with a close down rather than a revamp.

[Borgeman]

I dunno, they've been talking about updating their site for months, while more recently they said they'll be moving to the more usual (ie less stupid) method of paying for your preorder on the spot, rather than the debacle they have atm. Hence the removal of all other preorders. Also makes sense to only leave up in stock items.

Lets see in a week or 2 what happens. I think they still have the customer base, because they are still mostly cheaper than overseas, and only PC has them (mostly) beat competition wise locally.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

Man TFI have been around from the beginning.. as far as i know they were the first to provide us with the goods before the other locals came.

Evan explained to me that it's gonna be like a 'reset'. All customers will get a refund unless the item is in stock and with the new website coming it's gonna be a great fresh start.

Deposit on pre orders will be happening because too many customers left him high and dry by not paying and/or taking their time to pay.

Just passing on the info for all to read here and hopefully it clears a few things up.

[TAAUBlaster]

I just want to say that this is not meant to be a "white-knighting" post for TFI. They certainly have their problems, and shortcomings. And I'm really not happy about the way they are being cagey and unforthcoming (is that a word? :o ) with what's happening. But this is just my thought on the matter.

It sounds like they just want to start completely fresh with the new website. Their current business model needs to change, which seems to be what they are trying to do now. New website, new ordering policies, and hopefully much needed new and improved customer service. however if the original pre-orders end up becoming more expensive that will really hit their customer numbers hard. So I'm hoping there isn't anything like that going to happen.

Cancelling all pre-orders from the old site will make everything easier to keep track of from a business perspective and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Not to mention trying to carry existing pre-orders/payments over to a new system is incredibly time consuming and there is a high chance orders could get missed during the transition. TFI have a hard enough time keeping up now. They don't need anything else to chew up their business time. Which is why a clean slate is probably the best way to go for them. Yes - it will lose them a lot customers in the short term but hopefully they will emerge stronger and with more consumer confidence in the time after. They will have to work hard though.

From a long time customer's perspective though, that is quite frustrating to me because I have always done the right thing and paid on time, haven't hounded them too much and stuck with them. And now it seems like I will have to place all my orders again. It has me worried because with things like MP's - a lot are pre sold out quickly. What if TFI's allocation runs out from the new website before I can replace my order? Even though I pre-ordered almost immediately as their listing went up, now I might miss out? Not to mention I have to try and remember what my orders were in the first place as some of them were placed months ago. I spread my business around, so its hard keeping track of what I'm getting from where sometimes :p

I've been a customer since TFI first opened, and honestly I haven't really had any major issues with them in the past. TFI's delayed shipments honestly doesn't bother me as much as it seems to everyone else. Maybe because I've always grouped my international JP/US orders into POL or private warehouse so I never usually receive any figures straight after they are released anyway. Maybe I'm too easygoing.

From what I understand their biggest issue for a while has been people not paying for their pre-orders on time (or at all) and so delaying the arrival of a lot of figures. The money paid for pre-orders goes directly to paying for the figures from suppliers. And for the expensive figs like UW Dev, if 10 people don't pay their pre-order, there's $2000 odd TFI has to find from somewhere else so they can pay for the shipment to come in so those who did pay, can get their items. Which then they have to try and recoup from somewhere for the next shipment. It's a never ending circle of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." And with so many figures getting released so soon after each other, it gets very hard to "pay back Paul."

The "order now, pay later" policy sounds attractive to potential customers, but it just doesn't work for a small business starting up. It places too much faith in the customers which is usually taken advantage of at TFI's expence. To offer a service like that, they need to have a large backup capital that comes with years of trading (or a large initial capital) to account for when this type of thing happens.

TFI certainly have a lot of work to do in the future and really have to work on their customer service. The new policy of paying upon pre-order should help a lot in getting the figures into them quickly so they can dispatch quickly too. I really want them to succeed because I enjoy supporting Australian businesses where possible.

My 2 cents.

[EDIT] I took too long typing this and Borgeman and WeallscreamforStarscream beat me to my point :o

[Borgeman]

From what I understand their biggest issue for a while has been people not paying for their pre-orders on time (or at all) and so delaying the arrival of a lot of figures. The money paid for pre-orders goes directly to paying for the figures from suppliers. And for the expensive figs like UW Dev, if 10 people don't pay their pre-order, there's $2000 odd TFI has to find from somewhere else so they can pay for the shipment to come in so those who did pay, can get their items.

Unfortunately that was half of their problem. They had no capital of sorts to source stock, yet wouldn't take payment before release to secure said stock. Customers were relying on lazy Joe #5 to pay up before their order was filled. And as was seen with Devvy, it dragged out for ages. That was a joke - in no business model is that viable.

The other half was their failure at customer service whenever their shortcomings were pointed out, as we know. In stock or not, shoppers will walk away if the service is bad enough.

Hopefully with the rework of their payment model their attitude to customer service improves as well.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Didn't someone on here say they sold 200 Apollyons, assuming $10 - $20 profit which is conservative considering the price they were selling for that's 2-4K profit, right there! Therefore some capital to take some risk.

If there is a business model that involved zero financial risk but great profits everyone would do it!
For a store to wait for everyone to pay for a pre-order before buying it from their supplierat the detriment of other customers is downright outrageous (and really may as well be called drop shipping). If the pre-sale people who didn't pay in the first instance eventually don't pay at all, I'm sure one could still make a profit off the unsold item(s) and that the worst case scenario would be to at least break even.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm of the impression that most, if not all Aussie stores are small businesses and have very limited capital to source a wider range of stock, unlike the big boys across the ocean like BBTS. Thus stock inventory is limited and what I believe largely dependent on up-front payment of pre-orders.

I'll admit I'm a little cautious and wary in over committing/ over spending on pre-orders. As mentioned before, pre-order money could be used to fulfil other orders and all it takes is a period of poor sales / non-payments for the house of cards to collapse.

I'm not saying anyone is setting out to rip others off, it's just a case of doing your research.

[TAAUBlaster]

TFI just updated their FB page:



--To the most important people in the world--

Many of you would have already started receiving notes on your orders with cancellations and refunds.
Due to the events that has previously occurred, the lack of payments and the protection of the people doing it in certain forums due to the fact that some of the worst offenders are representatives of the forums, we have been forced to make the decision to cancel/refund your orders. We sincerely regret this decision, but we feel that it is in best interest for our customer base to avoid massive delays on items.
I personally would like to thank you all who did the right thing by us and honored your payments on time. This is not anyone singled out or a specific item, this is a store wide happening to avoid our customers from having their orders being delayed due to the few that refuse to follow our terms and conditions. In effect, this will speed up the process to open our new site which has a new set of policies. These policies are designed to protect our fantastic customers to avoid this problem from occurring in the future.
While we understand that some customers will be upset with this decision, you have to believe me when I say, that this is the best option. Otherwise, I could easily sit here and send out requests for payment everyday until the cows come home and still have massive delays. This is the ONLY way out of this never ending cycle of delays due to this issue.

We truly appreciate all of our customers that have waited for these periods and made the effort to honor their payments on time. The amount of love and support for Tfi Down Under making this decision has been over whelming. This is a tough decision, but one I have made in full faith that we are doing the right thing by our customers.

----A couple more things for what might be the answer to some common questions---
- ALL ITEMS that are being cancelled will be placed back up for pre-order on our new site under our new fantastic policies.
- In order to squash any rumors; Much to the disappointment of our friends over in the forums, Tfi Down Under is far from closing down. In fact, we are on our way to become something quite the opposite.

-If you are wondering if your pre-order is cancelled, it probably is UNLESS it is in stock and I am awaiting payment, or it's part of a combined order that must be partially refunded. I am currently working everyday cancelling and refunding as many items as I can, and there are a lot.

-If you've written a pm and haven't received a response, forgive me, but this is a lot of work and a LOT of orders, over 500 alone that haven't paid for their items (not including the hundreds that have) and you probably would by now have a note on your order explaining the situation anyway. It's just me (Evan) here at the moment as everyone else has been away over the last fortnight. I'm trying to get these done as fast as I can so please, bare with me.

If you've received a cancellation notice, but no refund, just let me know and I'll eventually get back to you and sort it out ASAP. Please don't go on any forums/mob mentalists/rumor mills and ask for advice. We have NO affiliation with any of them at all. Tfi Down Under does not share information with any of them anymore. This is Tfi's actions, so please let me request that you ask Tfi as we are the only ones that would have the reliable answer. All this means, is that some sort of miss communication between Tfi Down Under's Website and Paypal has happened and it's an easy fix.

-Refunds will come in order that items are cancelled. When your item gets cancelled, it will be followed up with a refund. I understand there are people asking when their refund will come through, but trust me, it's coming as soon as your order is cancelled. smile emoticon
Again, thank you so much for the support on this and we promise you that the new experience will be far greater on our new website.
Thank you so much and
kindest Regards,
Team Tfidu


Hopefully the new site is up and running to start taking pre-orders again soon. I'm keen to keep supporting them especially with the new pre-order policies. Should make a lot of things run smoother. :)

[starrs]

You do realize when they relist all the cancelled preorders they will be significantly increasing the price.

Your 90aud ironhide will be 90usd

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Classy! Let's put the blame on all the trolls on the forums, instead of using the forums as a way to better your image!

[drifand]

You do realize when they relist all the cancelled preorders they will be significantly increasing the price.

Your 90aud ironhide will be 90usd

I am afraid you should not say this unless it is so.

Otherwise everything else actually is too much drama.
What is a let down is probably people who depended on certain pre orders and now are left hanging with nothing.

Blaming a forum that actually holds a big part of the business is also not good.

FYI since they are not communicating or updating the forum thread maybe is time to close the thread and all matters be only communicated directly.

I don't see why they could not be more direct here and sort it out.

[starrs]

It was confirmed the new pricing will be infact USD

[TAAUBlaster]

It was confirmed the new pricing will be infact USD

Where does it say that? (not challenging the info, just curious as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.)

[ZoonMaster5000]

Where does it say that? (not challenging the info, just curious as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.)

A screenshot made by Jon a week or so ago with a price on it was said to be in usd. No confirmation on pricing just a teaser pic so nothing set in concrete but it's looks likely to be in usd.


It was confirmed the new pricing will be infact USD

I would be careful making facts without substantial evidence though.

[TAAUBlaster]

A screenshot made by Jon a week or so ago with a price on it was said to be in usd. No confirmation on pricing just a teaser pic so nothing set in concrete but it's looks likely to be in usd.


Oh yeah I saw that. I didn't think that meant the prices on the new site would be in USD though. Would be a shame if that's the direction they go :(
With our low dollar, I think people will be hesitant with anything when it comes to USD - even if the price is cheaper than overseas stores.

[griffin]

due to the fact that some of the worst offenders are representatives of the forums

I don't know if any of the other staff here have done it, but if he's aiming this accusation to this forum, I've never shopped from TFI, and it would be a shame if they are claiming this just to win sympathy from their non-Ozformers customers.


FYI since they are not communicating or updating the forum thread maybe is time to close the thread and all matters be only communicated directly.

The feedback topic will remain because it is for giving feedback by past customers for the benefit of potential customers, not feedback to TFI.
And the product updates topic will remain for anyone wanting to post up new items.
Neither topic, as with all other dealer topics, is for asking questions of that dealer. This is not their business website or contact point, and it has often been said (repetitively) that questions must be sent directly to that business/dealer, NOT here.
(their replies to your questions can then be posted here if you want, to let others know about something important)

[starrs]

I believe this was the first public confirmation that the new site will be utilizing USD.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=443480012529852&id=159800560897800


Was also mentioned by people testing the site.

[UltimateGalvatron]

I really hope that tfi aren't talking about OzFormers... it is not our fault that they had poor customer service.

[spiderken17]

I don't know if any of the other staff here have done it, but if he's aiming this accusation to this forum, I've never shopped from TFI, and it would be a shame if they are claiming this just to win sympathy from their non-Ozformers customers.


Yes it seems strange to mention the forums, but the question is why would his non-Ozformers customers have anything against us? Are there TFI shoppers out there who are our enemies? :)
It could actually be a good thing as he is letting TF collectors know that there is a forum they can join to discuss their hobby that up until now they were unaware of. You know what they say, any publicity is good publicty :D

[Trent]

Probably talking about TCCA. Say one bad word about TFI there and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. In no time they're collecting pitchforks and lighting torches.

It's not entirely undeserved though.

[xlojnr]

I have a feeling they're talking about TCCA. They've mentioned repeatedly in the past that they feel that there are pro-Premium Collectable people in that group who are spreading disinformation about TFI.

Also, the USD thing was mentioned by TFI as a possibility a long time ago as well. They essentially said that the fall in the aussie dollar has caused them issues. I recall this because I thought that it was weird that an import business wouldn't have some sort of forex hedging system in place - and I was going to suggest some platforms for them to look into, but I didn't want to presume to tell someone how to run their business.

[ZoonMaster5000]

I do have a feeling there is 1 finger pointing this way. We were waying up the possibility they might be shutting down not long before his post went up and he mentions it in there somewhere, coincidence maybe? I think not

[Borgeman]

They still need to either take some classes on public speaking/writing, or hire someone to do it for them. So unprofessional with some of the things said...

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

I do have a feeling there is 1 finger pointing this way. We were waying up the possibility they might be shutting down not long before his post went up and he mentions it in there somewhere, coincidence maybe? I think not

They did say forums so I wouldn't be surprised if this one were included. Say anything remotely bad about TFI (even if justified) and it seems you're on their shitlist for life!

This fiasco reminds me of that Kitchen Nightmares episode Amy's Baking Company:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tZC_kuQEdw

[Sinnertwin]

I believe this was the first public confirmation that the new site will be utilizing USD.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=443480012529852&id=159800560897800


Was also mentioned by people testing the site.

Are they simply switching currencies & charging people more, or is the USD price on par with the current exchange rate & existing prices?

[drifand]

Doesn't make sense to use usd as primary for Australian online site.
Is probably a switch to allow other international customers.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

If they use USD on an australian site (thinking from a business owners perspective) it could be to keep the prices true for them. So for example an MP will be $50 USD and given the fall of the AUD against the USD it would protect the business against possible loss.

The COST is the same for the business and the PRICE is whatever the conversion ends up being on the day for the customer.

Does that make sense? (any economic heads out there?:p)

[drifand]

If they use USD on an australian site (thinking from a business owners perspective) it could be to keep the prices true for them. So for example an MP will be $50 USD and given the fall of the AUD against the USD it would protect the business against possible loss.

The COST is the same for the business and the PRICE is whatever the conversion ends up being on the day for the customer.

Does that make sense? (any economic heads out there?:p)

Myers should start selling in usd?
Nice!

Or should board members here start listing in usd too?

As you said same for business, is a big turn off for customers considering rates fluctuate. Hence why people buy in aud so they know exactly what they are paying with no surprises.

If the product cost goes up you raise it in aud and that's what most Australian online stores do.

[Initial_G]

Will find out soon enough if it's in USD or AUD.

Ideally, if it's an Australian store the default price should be in AUD. They could always include an option (like on nippon-yasan) where you can choose what currency you want to view the prices in. Of course the exact conversion isn't the same but you get a good enough guesstimate. Dunno if they will do this though.

I like to support local business as well if possible but with more and more official and 3P figures coming out, I'll be more inclined to shop where I wherever find the best price for item + shipping, packing, etc

[xlojnr]

If they use USD on an australian site (thinking from a business owners perspective) it could be to keep the prices true for them. So for example an MP will be $50 USD and given the fall of the AUD against the USD it would protect the business against possible loss.

The COST is the same for the business and the PRICE is whatever the conversion ends up being on the day for the customer.

Does that make sense? (any economic heads out there?:p)

When I recall seeing them post about using USD on facebook a while back this was exactly what they meant. They source the items from their suppliers who charge them in USD, and so they were going to list at the price which they are quoted at.

However, if your business involves importing goods and selling locally, or if you have to import goods to use for manufacturing and sale, most businesses will use currency futures to lock in a conversion rate and charge their customers that fixed conversion + margin and eliminate the risk of the currency dropping against them and upping their costs when it comes time to pay their suppliers.

[drifand]

When I recall seeing them post about using USD on facebook a while back this was exactly what they meant. They source the items from their suppliers who charge them in USD, and so they were going to list at the price which they are quoted at.

However, if your business involves importing goods and selling locally, or if you have to import goods to use for manufacturing and sale, most businesses will use currency futures to lock in a conversion rate and charge their customers that fixed conversion + margin and eliminate the risk of the currency dropping against them and upping their costs when it comes time to pay their suppliers.

This makes more sense .
I don't see USA foods online charging usd. Lol

Whatever tfi chooses that will be my actions where I would source future toys or tfs from. If it's usd, I see no different buying from Hong Kong sellers.

[starrs]

All pricing will be usd only. The new prices will be increased and safe to say you will wear the extra fees and charges applied by exchange rate fees. A interesting topic would be is the shipping rates in aud or usd and will invoices on the new site incorporate GST.

[UltraMarginal]

Are they simply switching currencies & charging people more, or is the USD price on par with the current exchange rate & existing prices?

This is a valid question and I personally think the latter makes a whole lot more sense.


If they use USD on an australian site (thinking from a business owners perspective) it could be to keep the prices true for them. So for example an MP will be $50 USD and given the fall of the AUD against the USD it would protect the business against possible loss.

The COST is the same for the business and the PRICE is whatever the conversion ends up being on the day for the customer.

Does that make sense? (any economic heads out there?:p)

not an economy head, but I see what your saying and it does make sense. At the same time though, most of their business is through pre-orders, which in future will be charged up front based on what they've been posting on the Facepalms. if they set a pre-order price for a week in Australian dollars something terrible will have to happen to the economy to cause them much grief in that time period with a fixed price.



Myers should start selling in usd?
Nice!

Or should board members here start listing in usd too?

As you said same for business, is a big turn off for customers considering rates fluctuate. Hence why people buy in aud so they know exactly what they are paying with no surprises.

If the product cost goes up you raise it in aud and that's what most Australian online stores do.

It's a fair expectation to want Australian companies to list in AU$, it's not that big a deal though, as long as they specify what is AU$ and what is US$.


Does anyone have any idea on the expected timeframe for when TFi plans to open up their new storefront?


@STARRS, you seem to have joined up just to make unfounded declarations about the state of the TFi shop when it re-opens. Can I suggest to take a day off from this thread and maybe have a look around the forum at all the other cool stuff that goes on here.

[Trent]

No one seems to complain about all the Hong Kong sellers (Chimungmng, Robot Kingdom, EhobbyBaseShop, etc) that list in USD instead of HKD...


(I don't agree with it, just pointing out the irony of the situation.)

[UltraMarginal]

haha, I'd love it if Asian sellers sold in Yen or HKD instead of US. it would save me at least a dollar or two (or ten) on a larger order.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

No one seems to complain about all the Hong Kong sellers (Chimungmng, Robot Kingdom, EhobbyBaseShop, etc) that list in USD instead of HKD...

(I don't agree with it, just pointing out the irony of the situation.)

If I were a Hong Kong resident, then yes, I would complain of having to pay in USD.

Besides, I think it is entirely reasonable to expect that if I am shopping locally I pay in my local currency; whereas if I am shopping abroad, I pay in a foreign one (whatever that may be), because either way, i'm going to be slugged with foreign exchange.

In TFI's case, the owner thumps his nationalistic chest -- "support Aussie business!", but hey, now you can pay in US dollars!

[drifand]

No one seems to complain about all the Hong Kong sellers (Chimungmng, Robot Kingdom, EhobbyBaseShop, etc) that list in USD instead of HKD...


(I don't agree with it, just pointing out the irony of the situation.)

They do list in hk dollars though or have the option to choose hk currency

Being that why do you think most hk residents just rock up to their store?

[UltraMarginal]

They do list in hk dollars though or have the option to choose hk currency

Being that why do you think most hk residents just rock up to their store?

I've asked RobotKingdom about using HK dollars and they said US was all they list in.

[drifand]

haha, I'd love it if Asian sellers sold in Yen or HKD instead of US. it would save me at least a dollar or two (or ten) on a larger order.

+1
One of the only reasons I buy from hk stores are not because the Japan stores don't carry the items.

For example perfect effect parts, mp hands, third party transformers.
If they were to rock up on hobbysearch or hlj. I would happy to buy from them.

[drifand]

I've asked RobotKingdom about using HK dollars and they said US was all they list in.

Yeah just noticed that. Thought I could alter in checkout but can't.

Anyway whatever it is. Is tfi decision.
When pre order comes I normally do the maths.
Usd is not my preferred choice and hence why I tend to avoid, especially when our dollar is weak.

As noted there are many Australian online stores that list in aud.
Not end of the world .

[MrTrick]

The HK stores can use US dollars because the HKD is pegged against the USD, so they're somewhat protected from currency movements.

[christalcase]

No one seems to complain about all the Hong Kong sellers (Chimungmng, Robot Kingdom, EhobbyBaseShop, etc) that list in USD instead of HKD...


(I don't agree with it, just pointing out the irony of the situation.)

HK buyers don't care as much because the HKD is pegged against the USD, so it's always a fixed rate (roughly).

Whereas AUD fluctuates so much against the USD... Personally, I would prefer and have expected Australian stores to list in AUD, as it eliminates exchange rate uncertainty, bank fees etc. For a business that deals so heavily in foreign currencies, they should look into hedging or something else to lock in their rates, even if it would be at a more unfavourable rate than the current one.

[UltraMarginal]

The HK stores can use US dollars because the HKD is pegged against the USD, so they're somewhat protected from currency movements.


HK buyers don't care as much because the HKD is pegged against the USD, so it's always a fixed rate (roughly).

.

Is there an echo in here??:confused:


:cool:

[TAAUBlaster]

I think I read in the FB thread that Tfi is hoping to re-launch Monday week. Was supposed to be this Monday, but the site programmer has a whole family with the flu. Either way, it shouldn't be too long now by the sounds of it. :)

I'm really hoping they don't change their prices to USD. I always baulk when I see USD prices, because our exchange rate is back to being pretty poor at the moment. I would feel much more confident buying in AUD.

[UltraMarginal]

Is it that big a deal though if they list something at US$70 or AU$100 when the same thing imported might be $US100. I realise that AU$ is more comfortable but if you're using a card like 28degrees that has little or no conversion charge it doesn't really effect us in the long run.

[drifand]

Is there an echo in here??:confused:


:cool:

No idea feels suspicious about number of post here honestly. Lol

[TAAUBlaster]

Is it that big a deal though if they list something at US$70 or AU$100 when the same thing imported might be $US100. I realise that AU$ is more comfortable but if you're using a card like 28degrees that has little or no conversion charge it doesn't really effect us in the long run.

If the prices are still good, it's not really an issue. It's more of a psychological thing I guess (for me anyway) :p

Hopefully we can still pay for the full pre-order upfront to lock in the exchange rate at the time.

[drifand]

If it's not a big deal I don't see why we should be using Aus dollars. Might as well just ditch it and use usd.

What is missing is exchange rates that banks charge. Like it or not they do not go by xe.com so you expect a higher exchange than what the exchange is.

Like said, there are many online stores . I am not bashing tfi but only to say it won't be my preferred choice if usd is used.

[jazzcomp]

Won't your credit cards still charge international transaction fee even if they did charge in AUD?

[spiderken17]

What currency TFI use will not be the deciding factor in whether I shop with them. Their Customer service and customer feedback will be.

[drifand]

Won't your credit cards still charge international transaction fee even if they did charge in AUD?

Nope. 0 I can vouch for it as Nippon yasan also has this type of payment.
Once you pay in Aust is in Aust .

But saying that it makes no sense, what international transaction when tfi is local based?

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

Yep service is priority with me. USD AUD JPY does it REALLY matter :confused:

[The Letter M]

One of my refunds for the cancelled items has bounced due to their bank refusing funding. I hope this is an oversight on their part.

[Smint]

I'm guessing they have no money to refund you.
I'm hoping they haven't deposited enough funds into their account.

Glad I checked this thread before I ordered from them.

[Initial_G]

One of my refunds for the cancelled items has bounced due to their bank refusing funding. I hope this is an oversight on their part.

Actually I just had this as well for mine too :confused: hmmm

[jazzcomp]

Nope. 0 I can vouch for it as Nippon yasan also has this type of payment.
Once you pay in Aust is in Aust .

But saying that it makes no sense, what international transaction when tfi is local based?
Wasn't specific to tfi, more for online stores in general. I was charged for intl transaction fee for airline ticket bought online in AUD and my hotel with bill charged in AUD.

[drifand]

Wasn't specific to tfi, more for online stores in general. I was charged for intl transaction fee for airline ticket bought online in AUD and my hotel with bill charged in AUD.

If it was using Paypal which tfi is, it wouldn't be charged

Same as Nippon yasan if you choose to pay Paypal and in aud.

[Mr_K]

<rant>

I don't believe I have ever ranted on these boards, or any online forum before, but this sure deserves it!

So way back when the owner and operator of TFIDownUnder mentioned on Facebook that he would be moving to USD I asked there if all pre-orders placed in AUD beforehand would be honoured in the move and he said yes.

I pre-ordered HIMED and KATANA at the early-bird pre-order price and noticed that he said they would come out in March -> where everyone else was saying they would come out in February. I questioned him on this and he said that if they ended up coming out in February then he would move the date forward till then to ensure all pre-order payments made it in for release of the figures.

The release by MakeToys came and went and I noticed I never received notice to pay (I would have paid up-front if I could, but am now glad I didn't).

It wasn't until I visited this thread that I learnt he was cancelling all pre-orders to re-put them up in USD! Well, not only is this poor communication (i.e. no communication) to customers, but it also goes against what he expressly said he would do.

Plus, what was the point in having early-bird pre-order pricing if you're just going to cancel the pre-orders!!

Worse yet, the figures came out before all this changing to USD started to happen with the site, so all I can assume is that he never asked for payment of the MakeToys figures because cancelling the pre-orders and asking everyone to order again in USD is going to net him more cash.

Well, I even had $15 store credit to use on the figures (which he has said he would work out a way for me to use this once I can order them again), but I have had enough.

It may end up costing me $20 more to buy both figures from ActionRobo, but at least they communicate, don't jerk me around and are punctual with getting figures out.

Worst part I feel is that MakeToys will now only have 1 supplier per location/country (USA and Asia seem to be exceptions), so that means PremiumCollectables can't get MakeToys products for us :(

</rant>

[kup]

The dude is just super incompetent and has absolutely no concept of basic customer service skills.

I don't think he is there to be fraudulent but his extremely poor decisions and massively poor communication skills make him seem as if he is.

[SuspectimusPrime]

<rant>
Worst part I feel is that MakeToys will now only have 1 supplier per location/country (USA and Asia seem to be exceptions), so that means PremiumCollectables can't get MakeToys products for us :(

</rant>

I think for MakeToys, we're such a small market that it doesn't make sense for them to allow for price competition between two or more stores. I hope they review this strategy and consider other stores.

[griffin]

Soooo, does the 60% cancellation fee on preorders go both ways and they have to pay you an extra 60% on your refund... :p

[MayzaPrime]

Soooo, does the 60% cancellation fee on preorders go both ways and they have to pay you an extra 60% on your refund... :p

That would also be good if they refund pre-orders that have already been fulfilled :p

[Mr_K]

Soooo, does the 60% cancellation fee on preorders go both ways and they have to pay you an extra 60% on your refund... :p

Yeah they totally should have to since they are just relisting then for preorder again

[drifand]

A tfi customer who I just met has no clue about this thread or any other forum.
She is left only knowing orders were cancelled and refunds are on its way but not refunded.

I think tfi should email and communicate what's happening in honesty.

[Sinnertwin]

A tfi customer who I just met has no clue about this thread or any other forum.
She is left only knowing orders were cancelled and refunds are on its way but not refunded.

I think tfi should email and communicate what's happening in honesty.

You do see the issue here, right?

[drifand]

You do see the issue here, right?

Why do you think I left what I said? I believe they do visit this page.
As far as I can see there is more effort coming from loyal customers who do know what's going on than the owner actually reassuring or addressing the current situation

The longer they take to reboot their business the more customers they loose.
There was no heads up to the customers if they are able to reorder etc... These are the customers who paid upfront and left hanging.

[Sinnertwin]

I seriously doubt it.
TFI Guy hasn't logged in since the 2nd of August, 2015.
You're better off referring your friend to TFi's FB page or PayPal.

[The Collector]

Soooo, does the 60% cancellation fee on preorders go both ways and they have to pay you an extra 60% on your refund... :p

Best question so far 😉

[drifand]

I seriously doubt it.
TFI Guy hasn't logged in since the 2nd of August, 2015.
You're better off referring your friend to TFi's FB page or PayPal.

Okay will let her know.

Cheers!

[drifand]

Not sure why we can't complain to make toys that tfi has not done a good job and other toy stores are more reliable here.

If make toys need proof there seem to be plenty.

[Oztron]

[QUOTE=ZoonMaster5000;511664]From what I've seen new pricing was matching places like bbts but are obviously cheaper on shipping which is where they are coming out cheaper.

New prices are all in USD

[drifand]

???

Looks like we have phantom accounts posting on tfi behalf.

[pleaseexplain101]

Looks like we have phantom accounts posting on tfi behalf.
isn't the ??? directed at a comment about tcca being 5th

[Borgeman]

isn't the ??? directed at a comment about tcca being 5th

I think the ??? was because the post he quoted made no sense with respect to the conversation in the thread.

[ZoonMaster5000]

isn't the ??? directed at a comment about tcca being 5th

I don't see any reference to tcca in that post. I think people just wanted to know what he's referring to.

[pleaseexplain101]

I think the ??? was because the post he quoted made no sense with respect to the conversation in the thread.
gotcha... thanks

[drifand]

isn't the ??? directed at a comment about tcca being 5th

Did you join up just to post this? Really?

[pleaseexplain101]

Did you join up just to post this? Really?
Are you this narky to all new members?

To answer your question its a no, have sign up and been browsing a while and a comment on a confusing thread caught my eye so decided to try my hand at replying

maybe it's a wrong move to even try being involve in a new forum and time to leave?

nice way to make newbies feel welcome btw

[Sinnertwin]

Did you join up just to post this? Really?

And you greet a new member like that? Really?

[drifand]

Are you this narky to all new members?

To answer your question its a no, have sign up and been browsing a while and a comment on a confusing thread caught my eye so decided to try my hand at replying

maybe it's a wrong move to even try being involve in a new forum and time to leave?

nice way to make newbies feel welcome btw

Yes I am, especially when the first post is not in the tf topic or welcome thread. To me it says you posted here in defence for tfi or against tfi purpose.

Sorry but your first post does shows what is of priority here.

[drifand]

And you greet a new member like that? Really?

See my reply

To add it up if you joined to post in this thread it would have been nice to know where his from. As a customer of tfi or whatever.

I am seeing quite a few 1 poster that either bash or defending tfi and hear nothing of them ever again.

[Sinnertwin]

The comment wasn't even about TFi, it was in regards to the TCCA page on FB.
It had absolutely nothing to do with TFi, in defence of or against.
Perhaps read a few more comments before jumping to conclusions and typing without thinking.

[drifand]

The comment wasn't even about TFi, it was in regards to the TCCA page on FB.
It had absolutely nothing to do with TFi, in defence of or against.
Perhaps read a few more comments before jumping to conclusions and typing without thinking.

I did think, and I think first post in this thread says a lot.
And yes I am narky. And yes I did jump to conclusions but it was because that's his first post. I only question his intent as it was his first post. I definately would have ignored if it was more than 5 post already.
Sorry I have bad habits for suspicious activity especially in this thread. Seen too many 1-3 post wonders and that it off with the thin air. Now that I know he is a real member, then welcome.

[philby]

Are you this narky to all new members?

To answer your question its a no, have sign up and been browsing a while and a comment on a confusing thread caught my eye so decided to try my hand at replying

maybe it's a wrong move to even try being involve in a new forum and time to leave?

nice way to make newbies feel welcome btw

Don't mind him, he is just grumpy and twitchy because he has nightmares of MP-11T Thundercracker wagging loose tailfins at him ;)

Welcome and please stick around :D

[drifand]

Don't mind him, he is just grumpy and twitchy because he has nightmares of MP-11T Thundercracker wagging loose tailfins at him ;)

Welcome and please stick around :D

Those nightmares were gone, I have a free mp-11T.

But yes I am known to be grumpy and on this occasion I jumped into conclusion.
For that I apologies .

[pleaseexplain101]

I did think, and I think first post in this thread says a lot.
And yes I am narky. And yes I did jump to conclusions but it was because that's his first post. I only question his intent as it was his first post. I definately would have ignored if it was more than 5 post already.
Sorry I have bad habits for suspicious activity especially in this thread. Seen too many 1-3 post wonders and that it off with the thin air. Now that I know he is a real member, then welcome.
I don't know what the world has done to wrong you but i forgive you

If sending harsh replies floats your boat or +10 to your keyboard warrior level, it's alright as its likely something you have no control over.

In the meantime your welcome is accepted

xoxo

[drifand]

I don't know what the world has done to wrong you but i forgive you

If sending harsh replies floats your boat or +10 to your keyboard warrior level, it's alright as its likely something you have no control over.

In the meantime your welcome is accepted

xoxo

No problem, like said I was just overly suspicious in the post here.

Cheers !

[SuspectimusPrime]

I think there is no need for suspicion. We're getting increased traffic through Google to this feedback page due to TFI's inconsistent communications - in choice of official channel, timing, and/or content of messages. People may be genuinely concerned and am having a hard time believing in the information provided.

Also, Welcome to the Forums, Pleaseexplain101 :)

[pleaseexplain101]

I think there is no need for suspicion. We're getting increased traffic through Google to this feedback page due to TFI's inconsistent communications - in choice of official channel, timing, and/or content of messages. People may be genuinely concerned and am having a hard time believing in the information provided.

Also, Welcome to the Forums, Pleaseexplain101 :)
thanks for the welcome

[The Collector]

I think there is no need for suspicion. We're getting increased traffic through Google to this feedback page due to TFI's inconsistent communications - in choice of official channel, timing, and/or content of messages. People may be genuinely concerned and am having a hard time believing in the information provided.

Also, Welcome to the Forums, Pleaseexplain101 :)

Im glad I came back some of the info on here has been helpful as I was a long time tfi customer but had no idea how bad they had gotten because I can never get a straight answer, and I am concerned.

[Akky82]

I don't know what to say except my own experience.. I have been buying from TFI and hopefully will continue in the future (esp because of make toys). I beleive the issue is Wordpress or something miscommunication with PayPal and paypal trying to refund to balance, rather than the actual source I the payment (ie. Bank or CC) so that's why they got delayed. This is my take on it from what I've experienced, but I'll admit that the iron hide refund at first took me aback, considering I ordered it when I though I had to pay up front but didn't. It wasn't really communicated well in the first place, but from a reply to someone else you can see he cancelled ironhide because it would be quicker I source it from somewhere else rather than wait for everyone who hadn't paid to get their act together. I don't know how this works in regards to the MakeToys defensive parts though.

I can tell you as I know him in person (not a fan boy, I still buy from PC as well as HLJ, actionrobo, chimunung, RK), but I choose TFI for some things to save on postage, and the right prices, and I pick up in person (though I have met up closer to home with Gene to grab something). But he is annoye that people have to wait, not every business is swimming in capital, when he has to honour 200 preorders with the supplier and 100 people haven't paid, we all get angry, including him. The main issues are the pay up front should've been the way at the start, but I do think the pay later helped get more business. The other thing is working on communication, but hopefully that'll get better as things go.

Looking forward to the relaunch, which I think was supposed to be about when everyone got their refunds so should be soon.

[Jetfire in the sky]

The main issues are the pay up front should've been the way at the start, but I do think the pay later helped get more business.

Ahh, no this is what has lost them business because all the people who did pay up early and are now screwed so a lot of them won't come back.

I do hope they get their sheizer together with this restructure because I can see from here and other places that they definitely have their fans out there.

[griffin]

**** PLEASE NOTE ****

To the people who are contributing a lot of posts in this topic recently, please refrain from repetitively posting comments if you don't have any new first-hand experience to add to the topic. If there is a trend of positive or negative experiences, it will be reflected by different people posting up their actual experience... we don't need reminders or repeats of actual experiences or announcements.

Because as people have noted, it's starting to become a bit of a bitch-fest in here, and some people are getting caught up in the middle of it, when all they are wanting to do is leave their (first) feedback.

Thankyou.

[Mr_K]

Someone from MakeToys just got back to me wishing for a link to this thread, so they are interested to hear...

[Joshy]

ive got alot of fully paid for preorders with them, including a fair few that are out (and already sold out everywhere scoria for example). They have not started refunding any money to me yet, and communication has been worse then poor but i have come to expect that. I stopped buying from these guys after i preordered Ratchet when it was first announced as the customer service is horrible. A week before the announcement of all orders refunded i got a message saying they would finally send me Tesla, but then i got a generic message a day or so ago saying i wont get anything and everything will be refunded.
will not be using these guys again.

[The Letter M]

Has anybody received the money for one of the "cancelled" refunds? I have been lead to believe it will appear in my PayPal account in a few days but I'm more than a little sceptical, to be honest.

[Mr_K]

I just got an automated email from TFIDownUnder to pay for some pre-orders.

If I hadn't have been reading this thread I would have paid thinking everything was normal as well.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

I got refunded for 5/6 orders so far.

[CoRDS]

I had one order left with them and it was refunded last week. 3months after I paid.

[Initial_G]

I have a few pre-orders left which were refunded, they were in a pending status though then a few days later they showed as cancelled.

Not sure what the hiccup was but awaiting re-confirmation that refund is going through again. I was asked to give it a few days and check again ... currently waiting

[millhouse]

The second order I placed (UW-04) has been delivered.

Previously I ordered Apollyon, which was received rather delayed (with less than stellar communication) and Takara LG Megatron (which arrived with manufacturing damage, so I bought a second one when it was on sale).

I'm done. I haven't had any particularly bad experiences (besides the delays and communications issues with Apollyon) but between my MPs being sourced through (for the most part) Nexusnixx and cutting down in general, I'm probably not ordering from them again, particularly given their change to US$.

[Jaisun]

It looks like I'm not alone in the uncertain waiting game...

I ordered and paid for UW Dev on Dec. 29, got an email mid Jan. asking me to update my profile with my address, which I did that day. Got a shipping notice on Feb. 4 with a status of 'Processing', which didn't change for two weeks, so I emailed them mid Feb. asking what's happening, they replied asking if I got a shipping notice, I said yes, but the status hasn't changed since the 4th. That's the last I've heard from them, although I did send another email last week expressing my concern for the time it's taking, and I also called AP, who said 'Processing' means they've received a shipping manifest from TFI, but not the actual items.

So yeah, not sure what to do... Do I take their business remodel in my stride and keep waiting, or request a refund... *sigh*

[Gofigure]

Lifes too short for waiting on the unnecessarily long arrival of Transformers Toys :P

Go elsewhere.

[Akky82]

It looks like I'm not alone in the uncertain waiting game...

I ordered and paid for UW Dev on Dec. 29, got an email mid Jan. asking me to update my profile with my address, which I did that day. Got a shipping notice on Feb. 4 with a status of 'Processing', which didn't change for two weeks, so I emailed them mid Feb. asking what's happening, they replied asking if I got a shipping notice, I said yes, but the status hasn't changed since the 4th. That's the last I've heard from them, although I did send another email last week expressing my concern for the time it's taking, and I also called AP, who said 'Processing' means they've received a shipping manifest from TFI, but not the actual items.

So yeah, not sure what to do... Do I take their business remodel in my stride and keep waiting, or request a refund... *sigh*

Hey mate, i'm in the same boat, it says on facebook the last lot of devi was turned back to Japan by AP/customs due to the state of the outer packaging, was repacked and sent back to Oz arriving i think tues or yesterday in Brisbane. Should be shipped out today or even yesterday if AP got the manifest. Fingers crossed.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Hey mate, i'm in the same boat, it says on facebook the last lot of devi was turned back to Japan by AP/customs due to the state of the outer packaging, was repacked and sent back to Oz arriving i think tues or yesterday in Brisbane. Should be shipped out today or even yesterday if AP got the manifest. Fingers crossed.


State of outer packaging!!?? That's a new one, I have had boxes arrive from overseas that looked like they have been dropped off a ten storey building! LOL

Anyway :rolleyes: :p ;)
I hope everyone gets what they were after.

[Mr_K]

So TFIDownUnder has just posted on Facebook that, even though suppliers weren't paid for pre-ordered products yet, he still doesn't have enough money to reimburse all pre-orders.

He says people will get their money eventually and will be holding a big sale this Sunday on items he has.

Don't know how you can spend other peoples money on things other than what they paid you for, but guess he must have. Also, I guess those pre-orders were never going to get filled then because how was he going to pay suppliers?

At any rate, here's the post from Facebook in full:

An important note for our customers-

Hi again, and thank you all for all very much for your extreme patience through all of this. It's good to see that there are some people getting the final released items that we had coming in finally, after all of the struggles Tfidu has battled through.

There's been delays in responses and refunds to a lot of customers and I'm about to tell you why. I've been away working flat out and getting my block of land on the market.

Reason being - and sadly, it brings us great humiliation that Tfi has come to the realisation that due to the amount of excess stock of "Hard to sell items because they're no longer 'Hot Items'" that we have in our shed which is a direct result of the generosity of individuals hiding in the hives that we're going to need more time to pay back some of these refunds before any ribbon is cut to allow us to crank up the new store....

I will be absolutely working my backside off the next couple of weeks and it's absolutely guaranteed that every single person with money owing to them will have their item 100% refunded. Going to need at least another month. I've even put my block of land up for sale and aggressively advertising it to get this sorted.

AS A RESULT!!-- We're happy to announce that there will a mad sale on items and I'll also be throwing up some other, 'harder to come by' items that have been sitting there for ages in hopes that someone will still be after them. Please keep an eye out for our massive No Undies Sundy' Sale!

Hopefully we can off a few and sort this beezwax out!

Thank you all so much for being great people, I know it's been a tough year, let's get it pumping!

[drifand]

I wouldn't buy anything from a mad sale when knowing they still can't refund customers, you must be mad if you still trust them.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

I wouldn't buy anything from a mad sale when knowing they still can't refund customers, you must be mad if you still trust them.

Yeah, it's difficult to have any trust when he originally said this was the reason for the refunds bouncing:


Yes, there is an issue with communication between the wretched old site and Paypal. Just waiting for it to reappear back out of cyberspace, and appear back into the account to transfer back to it's original owner. Thanks.

[Smint]

I agree. They'd sooner run off with your money and chances are the effort and cost of getting your $200 or thereabouts back wont be worth it.

They were obviously hoping to grow the business with everyone's preorder money, which is the same as PC which is why they require full deposit. That's super risky for everyone involved.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I agree. They'd sooner run off with your money and chances are the effort and cost of getting your $200 or thereabouts back wont be worth it.

They were obviously hoping to grow the business with everyone's preorder money, which is the same as PC which is why they require full deposit. That's super risky for everyone involved.

In some ways I sympathise in that an Australian based toy import business would be tough to get off the ground with costs and limited customer base. Australia simply doesn't have the buyer base that Asia and America have.

But I agree with your thoughts about the risks of the business model. I'm not saying they're a scam in any way, shape or form, but the reliance on upfront preorders to pay off current orders reminds me of a ponzi scheme. As a customer I'm not willing to take that risk. I'm happy to utilise fellow forumers in accessing my Masterpieces.

[griffin]

**** PLEASE NOTE ****

To the people who are posting commentary but didn't have any new first-hand experience to add to the topic, please don't. If there is a trend of positive or negative experiences, it will be reflected by different people posting up their actual experience... we don't need reminders or ridicule of actual experiences or announcements.

Because people have been commenting that it is reflecting poorly on this site, and can make customers who have had no issues, feel uncomfortable in commenting favourably.

Thankyou.

[simon_marklar]

so whats the consensus on buying from tfi ?

They have something I want and its supposedly in stock but after reading the fb feeds and this thread I'm not sure whats going on with this site.

[Juggernaut]

so whats the consensus on buying from tfi ?

They have something I want and its supposedly in stock but after reading the fb feeds and this thread I'm not sure whats going on with this site.

Whats the consensus? Thought it was pretty obvious from reading the 2 tfi threads?

[OptimusNerd]

so whats the consensus on buying from tfi ?

They have something I want and its supposedly in stock but after reading the fb feeds and this thread I'm not sure whats going on with this site.

What they're selling *right now* is in stock, and will likely ship very quickly. They've had some issues and are reorganising, but the best way to form an opinion is going to be by building a "relationship" with them yourself. Your experience may be very different to someone else's.

If it's an item that you want at a price you believe to be fair - buy it from them and see how it goes.

[drifand]

You are better off posting what is it you actually want and see if the members here can find it before you go for that resort where you be 50/50 uncertainty.

The feedback here are not for nothing so if you actually choose to ignore them, you are prepared for the worse scenario.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

You are better off posting what is it you actually want and see if the members here can find it before you go for that resort where you be 50/50 uncertainty.

The feedback here are not for nothing so if you actually choose to ignore them, you are prepared for the worse scenario.

Drifand, all you do is talk shit about TFI.. Maybe you need to quit being the one main person posting the negative posts and just let it go. You aren't happy with TFI DON'T BUY FROM THEM... SIMPLE.

I have nothing to do with TFI but i'll stick up for a local business that has been good to me. AND NO ONE NEEDS TO BE TALKING ANYONE DOWN ON A FRIENDLY FORUM. You said your bit now it's time to stop.

As a business owner myself, it's people like you that are like a cancer to us.

[xlojnr]

as mentioned before, all items listed on their website at present moment are said to be in stock and would ship immediately.

the previous issues mentioned in the threads are from the company's previous pre-order policy, which caused a few issues, and resulted in them having to restructure.

Part of that restructure is selling off their existing stock - which is where they're at now.

I would say if it's listed as in stock, buy it from them. I have never had an issue with the company until recently - and it was all from preorders.

[drifand]

Drifand, all you do is talk shit about TFI.. Maybe you need to quit being the one main person posting the negative posts and just let it go. You aren't happy with TFI DON'T BUY FROM THEM... SIMPLE.

I have nothing to do with TFI but i'll stick up for a local business that has been good to me. AND NO ONE NEEDS TO BE TALKING ANYONE DOWN ON A FRIENDLY FORUM. You said your bit now it's time to stop.

As a business owner myself, it's people like you that are like a cancer to us.

What is the harm in helping a member to hunt for the item which tfi has? I was offering a suggestion for someone who has uncertainty.


this business was good and now it isn't. If you are not here to help Simon maybe you should move on?

[Megatran]

Do not go pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Read this thread post!!!
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=514440&postcount=463

[drifand]

Do not go pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Read this thread post!!!
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=514440&postcount=463

Do you need my invoice? Cheers.

I don't know, I was offering Simon help to hunt for the item.
But I guess there is no need to.

[Megatran]

It's all there. Just click onto the link AND read.

[drifand]

It's all there. Just click onto the link AND read.

You are not helping Simon either. Read exactly what I said.

He has asked I replied asking what was the item.

Btw the tfi clearly has a contact us which clearly states not working.

[griffin]

**** PLEASE NOTE ****

To the people who are posting commentary but didn't have any new first-hand experience to add to the topic, please don't. If there is a trend of positive or negative experiences, it will be reflected by different people posting up their actual experience... we don't need reminders or ridicule of actual experiences or announcements.

Because people have been commenting that it is reflecting poorly on this site, and can make customers who have had no issues, feel uncomfortable in commenting favourably.

Thankyou.

If this feedback topic continues to degenerate, particularly by the same people, it will be closed until TFI restart their business operations.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

If this feedback topic continues to degenerate, particularly by the same people, it will be closed until TFI restart their business operations.

not a bad idea.

[simon_marklar]

sorry to start such drama!

I contacted them via FB and confirmed the product was in stock and then ordered it. According to aus post the item was picked up from TFI today, so that's a plus.

[Starscream77]

sorry to start such drama!

I contacted them via FB and confirmed the product was in stock and then ordered it. According to aus post the item was picked up from TFI today, so that's a plus.

Not your fault mate, just the same people flogging the same dead horse.
Glad it's going smooth for you

[simon_marklar]

so today tigris turned up at work, well packaged. now to get the rest of feral rex :D

[The Collector]

Fully refunded took a while but tfi stuck to there word just a pity it took so long

[Starganderfish]

I too was fully refunded for 4 pre-orders all of which had been paid up front.
When I asked about the reasons for refunding even paid pre-orders, I received the following (via Facebook):

Me: Sorry but I still don't understand why it's necessary to cancel ALL orders? If it's already been paid for then what's the problem?
Also, I assume it's safe to say that once orders are cancelled and then put back up for sale, the price will remain the same?
February 20 at 5:48pm
TFIDownUnder.com Because , I have had to cancel orders with our suppliers because we cannot honour them, as the orders haven't been honoured on our end. Start from scratch, clean slate.
February 20 at 8:09pm · Edited


Note that he has failed to confirm what the new prices will be for the items. I have asked on at least two other occasions for new price confirmations and again received no reply. I asked again on Facebook today, in the most polite terms possible.
I am feeling pretty confident that the prices will increase on all the items I had pre-ordered, meaning i will be out of pocket.
Due to TFI's delay's I have missed out on ordering these figures at a decent price from Premium Collectables and TFDirect. The only places they are still available for order are considerably more than I was originally paying.

The new store is still not online (it's been "in the works" since July last year.)

I will see what the new price is like if/when the new store opens and if it is still competitive I will most likely re-order from them , but I will absolutely be pointing out any price difference on their Facebook pages. Likewise, if the price remains the same, I will happily congratulate them for that on Facebook.

They're kind of my last choice in Aus for TF figures, but as they still have the biggest range of MP's in Aus, I often have to either suck it up and take a gamble on them or pay significantly more for overseas sellers.

It's also really difficult to communicate with them, not just because of their painfully slow response but because the owner is hyper-sensitive and aggressive and one wrong word will get you banned, meaning one less potential store to check for the lowest price.

[Wasabi_kid]

Not sure if this is the right area for this but I suppose it relates to my experience with this retailer. Communication is very bad and ill be lucky to get a response within 3 weeks when querying my order. They hace since confirmed my order was cancelled but havent responded when I can expect a refund. Is anyone else still waiting for their refund also?

[Jaxius._]

Seems like the only good feedback was from when i purchased from them at Supernova....

[Krayt]

Not sure if this is the right area for this but I suppose it relates to my experience with this retailer. Communication is very bad and ill be lucky to get a response within 3 weeks when querying my order. They hace since confirmed my order was cancelled but havent responded when I can expect a refund. Is anyone else still waiting for their refund also?

I thought he posted on fb that all refunds had been done....

[Wasabi_kid]

They said they were on the last leg of issuing refunds then another post saying they promised refunds to customers end of march which was delayed due to public holiday.

I think 4 months is long enough for them to have held on to my $ so I am going to just file a paypal dispute.

[WeallscreamforStarscream]

Had Hot Rod delivered today. I told them i wasn't in a rush and when you get it send it.

Came today well packaged, box in perfect condition.

TFI always works well for me.. never had a problem.

[Micktimus]

Hi guys

Has anyone had any communication from this guy, he still owes me $180 for cancelled preorders and isn't replying on Facebook.

If anyone knows the guy can you tell him to check his messages.

:mad:

[Borgeman]

Hi guys

Has anyone had any communication from this guy, he still owes me $180 for cancelled preorders and isn't replying on Facebook.

If anyone knows the guy can you tell him to check his messages.

:mad:

I'll quote myself from a previous post on the same thing:

Do everything you can to get your money back. They are just another failed entity who mishandled customer money, so just get it back. Don't wait for them - your money is GONE. They used your money as capital to obtain other stock to sell in the meantime. That stock hasn't all sold, so they were left owing suppliers money for your order. They fell in a hole, and now they're refunding people bit by bit as any money comes in. You could be then next one refunded, you could be 100th in the queue waiting months. Don't bother waiting for a reply as it doesn't change your chances of a refund.

Depending on how you paid, your options are these:

If you used PayPal, start a dispute today. Get the process rolling with them - you have all this evidence already of them not replying to you, so you're set.
Furthermore, if you used a credit card to pay via PayPal, talk to your bank about your potential options for doing a charge back on your credit card - if the PayPal dispute stalls you can then initiate a charge back direct with the bank.

If you paid via direct deposit... you might be at the mercy of the gods. Talk to the bank about what options might exist, but I don't know if there are any, but use this as a lesson to always use a credit based option when shopping online for expensive items.

[Micktimus]

Thanks for the reply, I was worried from the start when they cancelled all the preorders, but I had hope when he refunded one items straight away and then gave me in stock items as part refund.

But since the 22nd june I havnt heard anything from them.

[Micktimus]

They have cancelled there ABN so I guess I'm screwed.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ouch. Have you tried ACCC?

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

They have cancelled there ABN so I guess I'm screwed.

Damn! Since the 10th of June (http://abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbnHistory.aspx?abn=91835132892) as well!

Keep on trying! That's about the only thing you can do! Talk to paypal, your bank, anything and any way you can to try to recover your money!

[DaptoDog]

It's unconscionable that their website is still operating.

[Borgeman]

They have cancelled there ABN so I guess I'm screwed.

Not yet. Teat it like any old failed ebay auction where the seller is being a prick. Follow the options i outlined and cross you fingers!

[Micktimus]

I just sent an email off to the ACCC so ill wait on that, yeah his website is still up and his Facebook page, he would be still trying to sell the little stock he has left not that any of that money is making its way to the customers he's burnt.

Its just really irritating I work hard for my money and I hate getting ripped off.

[Trent]

Well kids, I hope you all enjoyed this case study on "How Not to Operate an Online Business". I think we pretty much covered everything from how to misallocate your capital to alienating and enraging your customer base.

There will be a test.

[Wormz]

Well kids, I hope you all enjoyed this case study on "How Not to Operate an Online Business". I think we pretty much covered everything from how to misallocate your capital to alienating and enraging your customer base.

There will be a test.

^^😂😂
Can i get angry if someone does better then me ??

[spiderken17]

I just sent an email off to the ACCC so ill wait on that, yeah his website is still up and his Facebook page, he would be still trying to sell the little stock he has left not that any of that money is making its way to the customers he's burnt.

Its just really irritating I work hard for my money and I hate getting ripped off.

I would be curious if you contacted him from another email about buying a product he has in stock if he responds. If he replies and confirms he is selling stuff it could also be used as evidence in any ACCC investigation to show that he is still trading.

[ZoonMaster5000]

If he replies and confirms he is selling stuff it could also be used as evidence in any ACCC investigation to show that he is still trading.

You only have to go on their fb page they were clearly still trading as of the 19th of June. I saw this coming about a year ago I feel sorry for all those who might have lost money due to this flailing excuse for a business.

[1AZRAEL1]

After seeing their online dealings and responses to questions put to them, I was glad to avoid them like the black plague